Setting Up Your Company
When you first log in, the dashboard shows an onboarding checklist that tracks your setup progress. This guide walks through each step so your workspace is ready before you create your first quote.
1. Complete Your Company Profile
Go to Settings > Company Details to fill in your company information.
- Company name — appears on quotes and purchase orders you send to clients and suppliers.
- Address — start typing and select from the suggestions. Forge uses this to determine your region's tax structure.
- Phone, email, and website — included on outgoing documents.
- Logo — upload your company logo. It appears on PDF quotes and purchase orders.
Click Save when you're done. You can come back to edit these details at any time.
2. Configure Tax Settings
Tax fields appear automatically based on your company address. For example:
- Canada — GST/HST number and provincial tax number (QST in Quebec, PST in BC, etc.)
- United States — EIN (Employer Identification Number)
- Other countries — a general tax ID field
Enter your tax registration numbers so they appear correctly on your outgoing documents. These are configured on the same Settings > Company Details page.
3. Configure Quote Settings
Go to Settings > Quote Settings to set your defaults. These values are applied automatically when you create a new quote, saving you from entering them every time.
- Payment terms — select from common options (Net 30, Net 60, etc.) or type a custom term.
- Quote validity — how many days a quote remains valid (e.g., 30 days).
- Delivery terms — shipping terms like FOB, Ex Works, etc.
- Default markups — set percentage markups for materials, outside operations, and purchased items. These are applied to the cost when calculating your selling price.
- Footer text — a note that appears at the bottom of every quote PDF (e.g., terms, disclaimers).
- Email template — customize the email body sent when you email a quote to a client. You can use variables like the client name and quote number.
There's also a Terms & Conditions tab where you can write the fine print attached to your quotes.
4. Set Up Equipment
Go to Settings > Processes & Equipment and switch to the Equipment tab.
Equipment represents the machines in your shop — CNC mills, lathes, welding stations, press brakes, saws, etc. Adding equipment lets you:
- Assign work orders to specific machines during production planning
- See your shop floor laid out by equipment on the production board
- Track which machine is working on what
Click Add Equipment, give it a name (e.g., "Haas VF-2", "Manual Lathe", "TIG Welder"), and save.
You don't need to add every machine right away. Start with the ones you use most and add more as needed.
5. Set Up Processes
On the same Settings > Processes & Equipment page, the Processes tab lists your manufacturing operations.
A process is a type of work your shop performs — CNC Milling, Turning, Welding, Surface Grinding, Anodizing, Assembly, etc. Each process has an hourly rate that Forge uses to calculate operation costs on quotes.
Click Add Process and enter:
- Name — what you call this operation (e.g., "CNC Milling")
- Rate — your hourly shop rate for this type of work
When you add operations to a quote part, you'll pick from this list. Forge multiplies the rate by the estimated time to calculate the cost.
6. Invite Team Members
Go to Settings > Team to add people to your workspace.
Click Add Member and enter their email address. You can assign them a role that controls what they can see and do — for example, an estimator might have full access to quotes but limited access to purchasing.
Roles are configurable with granular permissions. You can create custom roles from the same page.
What's Next
Once the onboarding checklist shows all items complete, you're ready to start working. Head to the Understanding the Workflow guide to see how everything fits together, or jump straight into creating your first quote.
The onboarding panel will keep showing on your dashboard until you complete all steps or dismiss it. You can re-enable it from Account > Preferences if you dismiss it early.